Joe Adams punt return one of four finalists for ESPY Best Play award

Former Razorback wide receiver returns a punt 60 yards for a touchdown versus Tennessee on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011.

Razorback fans in attendance at Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the Arkansas-Tennessee game on Nov. 12 knew it when they saw it. Then-Razorback wide receiver Joe Adams (now a member of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers) delivered one of the best plays of the 2011-12 football season when he eluded the entire Volunteer punting unit en route to a spectacular 60-yard return for a touchdown.

The electrifying play helped propel the Hogs to a 49-7 win, was the #1 play on that night’s Sportscenter Top 10, and now is one of four finalists in an online voting competition for an ESPY Best Play award.

The ESPY’s are ESPN’s annual award show honoring the best sports moments of the year, and are set for Wednesday, July 11 this year. The Best Play is awarded via a bracket-style voting competition, and Adam’s play has already survived two rounds of online votes to make it to the final four.

His return is the only football play left in the competition, and is competing against Christian Watford of Indiana University’s 3-pointer to beat Kentucky, an over-the-wall catch by Columbia College’s Derrick Salberg from the NWAACC Baseball Championships, and Edson Barboza’s wheel kick knock-out to defeat Terry Etim at UFC 142.

Online voting for Best Play will remain open until the sports award show begins at 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday.

Vote for Joe.